The Supersonic Green Machine

With a name like the Supersonic Green Machine, this ultra futuristic airplane gives the impression of a super-fast yet environmentally friendly way to travel by air. Although the Concorde was super-fast — at least when compared to conventional air travel — it was anything but environmentally friendly.

The Lockheed Martin-designed Supersonic Green Machine takes the benefit of speed that the Concorde had but adds a touch of eco-friendliness with increased fuel efficiency.

NASA is investigating what air travel may look like in 25 years, and the Supersonic Green Machine was Lockheed Martin’s submission. The airplane is not being manufactured and no plans to build it are in place, however it may provide a glimpse of how we will be traveling in 2035 — not just internationally (like the Concorde) but domestically as well.

The airplane uses an inverted-V engine, which reduces the effect of the sonic boom. The engine is also designed to use significantly less fuel than the Concorde, even though it would be traveling at speeds higher than Mach 1.

A plane that uses less fuel emits fewer toxins into the air and thus is more environmentally friendly than a similarly equipped plane that uses more fuel. Combine this with the ultra-fast flight speed and a shorter overall flight time and you have the Supersonic Green Machine.

Of course this is merely a concept and it may never make it to production status, but at the very least it is cool to look at.